


And Pounce makes three

by thejourneymaninn



Series: Domestic shenanigans [9]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age II
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Cuddling, Domestic, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, newlyweds
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-02
Updated: 2017-10-02
Packaged: 2019-01-08 06:34:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,606
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12248934
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thejourneymaninn/pseuds/thejourneymaninn
Summary: There’s a staff party at the hospital and newlyweds Anders and Fenris were planning to go…but now it’s raining, and their living room couch looks rather inviting…Part of Domestic Shenanigans. Like all fics belonging to this series, it can be read as a stand-alone.





	And Pounce makes three

**Author's Note:**

> Originally for prompt #51. ‘We’ve become the clingy newlyweds you always complained about’ from [this list ](http://thejourneymaninn.tumblr.com/post/165685731373/54-writing-prompts/) on tumblr, but it takes place in the same universe/timeline as the rest of the series.

“Anders, are you coming to the staff party tomorrow?” Merrill called from across the room where she was busy losing a game of pool against Hawke and Isabela.

“Yes.” Fenris had to raise his voice to be heard over the clinking of glasses and Hawke’s triumphant roars. “We will be there.”

She clapped her hands excitedly and went back to being obliterated.

There was a soft chuckle from somewhere between his neck and his shoulder. “ _We’_ ll be there, will we?”

“Am I to take that to mean you wish to go without me?”

“Of course not! Don’t be ridiculous, as if I could bear a whole night without…Maker”—Anders stopped nuzzling his ear and lifted his head with a groan—“we’re a sitcom cliché. We’ve become the clingy newlyweds you used to throw popcorn at. No wonder Aveline’s rolling her eyes at us. Yes,” he called, grabbing his beer and waving it at her in accusation, “guardian of lives and law in aisle three, I _did_ see that.”

“Be glad that’s all she’s doing. Remember how we used to mock her and Donnic?”

“That was different. It couldn’t be helped.” Gesticulating wildly, he slammed the bottle back on the table with slightly more force than necessary. “She was _blushing_ , Fenris. _Blushing_. I’m a mere mortal, I couldn’t pass up an opportunity of this magnitude.”

“I assure you, I have not forgotten.” Fenris placed an arm around Anders’ shoulder and pulled him back against his side. “But I’m afraid I have seen quite a lot of blushing on your part as well recently.”

“So? It’s not like it’s unusual for _me_ …” Anders’ reply was a barely intelligible mutter but out of the corner of his eye, Fenris saw him fiddling with his ring, a soft smile on his face. He often did that, when he thought no one was looking - an assumption that was, most of the times, wrong. Of course Fenris was looking at him, how could he not? Ever since the wedding, he’d been practically unable to stop. He glanced at the ironbark that adorned his own hand. Not a shackle. A bond. A promise. It felt right, even if he wasn’t quite used to it yet.

A loud snort from the other side of the table. So Aveline was still watching them. He rolled his eyes at her and placed a kiss on the top of Anders’ head.

 

 

They had to leave at 7. It was now six thirty; he had a book in his hands and a warm, purring cat on his chest. He could hear Anders singing in the kitchen, wildly off-key as always. Fenris did not want to get up. He didn’t even want to move…except maybe to make room for Anders.

As if on cue, Anders walked into the room, still maiming an innocent song. He had just reached the foot of the stairs when Fenris cleared his throat.

“Just how important is this party, exactly?”

Anders turned around and…started to chuckle? “So much for subtlety. I was waiting for you to crack. Thought you’d last longer, though.”

Fenris bit his lip. “I—“

Anders cut in, still chuckling softly. “Don’t worry, I knew there was no chance we’d make it out of the house the moment you lay down to read ‘just one chapter’. And I didn’t want to go anyway, these parties are the worst. Why do you think I haven’t been to a single one since we met? But you agreed so readily” – he flashed him a grin that could only be described as evil –“I thought I’d wait till regret kicked in.”

“Are you certain you don’t mind?”

“Oh yes. A cozy night in, just the two of us, sounds much more appealing. Or rather, the three of us.” He walked over to the couch, bending down to scratch Pounce’s ear. The purring immediately grew louder. Looking up through his lashes, Anders gave him a wink. “Besides, I still have to make up for our wedding night…”

“You have been saying that _every_ night since.”

“Maybe I enjoy a bit of penance.” He winked again. “And I do have _a lot_ to atone for, that really wasn’t my most stellar moment.”

“It wasn’t so bad. Except for the breakage. And the minor flooding. And the food poisoning. And the rash.”

“Yes,” Anders said, shuddering at the memory, “gave myself a nice pair of fireballs there. Not a pretty sight for sure…”

Fenris grinned. “Perhaps not. But it was a memorable one.”

“Not the kind of ‘memorable’ a wedding night should be, though. You deserve so much better…”

“I disagree. We prevailed against impossible odds and made the best of it. What better way to start a marriage?” He reached for Anders’ hand and pulled him down next to him. “And I woke up with you in my arms. I consider that a success.”

Anders snuggled up to him and tucked his head under his chin. “You’re right, every day I get to wake up next to you is a success. But I’ll keep making it up to you anyway, pampering you is just way too much fun to stop.”

“If it means that much to you, I suppose I could let you continue. Only for your sake, of course.”

“Of course.”

Anders was warm against his side, legs curled around him, his hand alternating between stroking the cat and Fenris’ chest, Pounce another source of warmth on top of him…this, Fenris decided, was how it should be, always. His phone lay within reach on the coffee table. They could order food, watch a movie, or simply listen to the sound of the rain, drumming against the windows of their little nest of warmth.

With a soft sigh, Anders inched even closer. “There’s something to be said for clingy.”

Fenris nodded.

“And this newlyweds thing isn’t too shabby either. But you know what I’m really looking forward to? The grumpy old men phase.”

“ _Some_ of us are closer to that than others…”

“…You spent decidedly too much time with Hawke.”

“I apologize. Continue, old man.”

“You know, just you and me, a bickering old couple, wrinkly and saggy – make a joke now and you’ll sleep on _Hawke’s_ couch tonight, next to Barkylicious – chasing kids off our lawn, blocking everyone’s path no matter where we go, complaining how things used to be better in the good old days, shouting at the TV…”

“So basically what we’ve been doing for the past five years?”

He could feel Anders shrugging lazily, like a boneless heap of too-content-to-move. “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. And it won’t be the same,” he mumbled into his shoulder. “We’ll have a whole life behind us. Memories and people and love and everything we’ve been through and fought and won…together…” He was slurring his words a bit. Fenris chuckled softly.

“Don’t tell me you are about to fall asleep _again_.” 

“I can’t help it, you’re just too cuddly and comfortable, and you smell nice…”

Fenris sighed. “It is like living with _two_ cats.”

“Well, shouldn’t have married me then, love. There is no turning back, you knew what you were getting yourself into.”

“True.” He placed a kiss on Anders’ temple. “You may be a disaster, but you are the disaster I have chosen.”

“A disaster that’ll bear your last name.”

“You…wish to take my name?”

“Well…yes? It’s at least marginally easier to pronounce than mine. I mean, only if you don’t mind…”

Fenris liked the idea – in part. There was a sort of…symbolism to it that he found rather appealing, yet it also had another, slightly uncomfortable connotation. “I would enjoy being bound by name too but… would it not feel like giving up your identity?”

Anders was silent for a moment. “I hadn’t thought about it that way. It doesn’t really mean anything to me. It’s the name of a father who didn’t want me, that’s not exactly something I feel any particular need to preserve. And you know, I already took a new name for myself. Why not two? And this time, I’d truly _choose_. But if it bothers you…”

“It does not bother me. I understand. Still, perhaps it would be better to hyphenate.”

Anders burst out laughing. “No one would be able to pronounce _that_ monstrosity. Just think of how long it would be, Maker, that would be cruel to anyone trying to…” Eyes narrowing, he peered up at him, little pearls of laughter still bouncing off Fenris’ skin. “Wait a minute, you just want to scare people off! You’re trying to make sure no one will ever address us, or introduce us to anyone ever again, admit it.”

Fenris gave him a grave look. “That would be an unavoidable but fortunate side effect.”

“And here’s the disaster _I_ have chosen,” Anders said with a playful slap to his hip.

“Indeed.”

A small shake of his head, a kiss to his nose, a mumbled, “Forever”, then Anders fell silent. Fenris let his head sink on top of his, closing his eyes. Their fingers brushed against each other in Pounce’s fur.

The rain kept falling steadily; it was getting dark outside. Beside him, he could feel Anders dozing off. It didn’t matter; if there was one thing that was bound to get Anders’ attention at any and all times, it was food. And until then, he thought as he awkwardly twisted his arm to grab his phone, trying to move as little as possible so as not to disturb the peaceful look on Anders’ face, his husband could certainly use some rest. 


End file.
